Saw through saw horse

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for supporting one of a board, panel and a plank for sawing. The apparatus comprises a center beam member having at least one recessed portion disposed adjacent an upper surface of the center beam member for forming a lowered center portion. There is a support member for supporting the center beam portion and a means for preventing lateral movement of the center beam member of the apparatus.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is closely related to and claims benefit from U.S.Provisional Application Serial No. 60/942,851 filed Jun. 8, 2007.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates, in general, to a sawhorse, and, moreparticularly, the present invention relates to a specially designedsawhorse that enables a worker to cut through a piece of wood, drywall,post fencing or other material without repositioning the material on thesawhorse.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A sawhorse is basically a beam with four legs used to support a board orplank for sawing. A pair of sawhorses can support a plank, forming ascaffold, and can be used for cutting large pieces such as drywall orpanels.

Construction workers, home hobbyists, and others who routinely work witha sawhorse know the frustration experienced when cutting materials.While most workers utilize the sawhorse to help stabilize and maintainthe positioning of the material being cut, cutting through the piecealmost always requires the worker to reposition the material so as notto cut through the top of the sawhorse. Moving the wood, paneling sheetor other material for this reason can be time consuming, frustrating andcumbersome, not to mention the fact that aligning the piece for theremainder of the cut can be difficult.

Thus, it would be advantageous if there were a simple and effectivemeans of cutting through material on a sawhorse without the need forrepositioning the material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect the present invention provides an apparatus forsupporting one of a board, panel and a plank for sawing. The apparatuscomprises a center beam member having at least one recessed portiondisposed adjacent an upper surface of the center beam member for forminga lowered center portion. There is a support member for supporting thecenter beam portion and a means for preventing lateral movement of thecenter beam member of the apparatus.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention toprovide a sawhorse that provides the worker with more convenient way tocut material.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a saw horse inwhich the material being cut does not have to be repositioned to cutcompletely through the material.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a sawhorsethat can cut through wood, drywall, paneling, wood or plastic fenceposts without repositioning.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a sawhorsethat has a lowered center area.

In addition to the various objects and advantages of the invention whichhave been described in some specific detail above it should be notedthat various other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome more readily apparent to those persons who are skilled in therelevant art from the following more detailed description, particularlywhen such description is taken in conjunction with the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a sawhorse according to anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a is a side perspective view of the sawhorse shown in FIG. 1showing the extensions of the center beam member.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the apparatus showing a different embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of a sawhorse according to analternate embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of alternate embodiment of the inventionshowing two sawhorses being used in the cutting of a large panel orplywood.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED AND VARIOUS ALTERNATIVEEMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Prior to proceeding with the more detailed description of the presentinvention it should be noted that, for the sake of clarity, identicalcomponents which have identical functions have been designated byidentical reference numerals throughout the several views illustrated inthe drawings.

In a first aspect the present invention provides an apparatus, generallydesignated 10, for supporting one of a board and a plank for sawing. Theapparatus 10 comprises a center beam member 2 having at least onerecessed portion, generally designated 20, disposed adjacent an uppersurface of the center beam member 2 for forming a lowered center portion20. There is a support member, generally designated 30, for supportingthe center beam member 2 and a means generally designated 40 forpreventing lateral movement of the center beam member 2 of the apparatus10.

Such support member 30 includes at least one platform member 4 forengagement with a bottom portion of the center beam member 2. Thesupport member 30 further includes two pair of legs 6 engageable withthe at least one platform member 4 for supporting the center beam member2, a first pair of legs 6 is engageable with an end of the at least oneplatform member 4 and a second pair of legs 6 is engageable with asecond end of the at least one platform member 4. The support member 30also includes a substantially rectangular brace member 8, suchsubstantially rectangular brace member 8 is engageable on each cornerthereof with each leg 6 of the two pair of legs 6 intermediate a firstend and a second end of each leg 6 of the two pair of legs 6 forproviding support to the apparatus 10.

The center beam member 2 includes extendable arms 12 that extendoutwardly from each end of the center beam member 2 for supportinglarger items to be cut. FIG. 5 shows the use of two apparatus(sawhorses) 10 for supporting a large panel or plywood to be cut whereinthe extendable arms 12 are extended outward.

The lowered center portion 20 of the center beam member 2 includes aplurality of recessed steps. Each of the plurality of recessed steps aretwo inches deep. A first step 14 of the recessed steps forms a notchthat is substantially 2 inches deep and 8 inches wide. A second step 16of the recessed steps forms a notch that is substantially 2 inches deepby 6 inches wide, while a third step 18 of the recessed steps forms anotch that is substantially 2 inches deep and 4 inches wide.

The means 40 for preventing lateral movement of the center is beammember 2 includes an extension 24 on each leg 6 of the two pair of legs6. The extension 24 on one leg 6 of the first pair of legs 6 isengageable with a lateral side of the center beam member 2 and theextension 24 on another leg 6 of the first pair of legs 6 is engageablewith an opposite lateral side of the center beam member 2. The extension24 on one of the legs 6 of the second pair of legs 65 is engageable witha lateral side of the center beam member 2 and the extension 24 onanother leg 6 of the second pair of legs 6 is engageable with anopposite lateral side of the center beam member 2.

Such first pair of legs 6 of the two pair of legs 6 further includes anotch 26 formed on an upper portion of each of the first pair of legs 6for engagement with the at least one platform member 4 for supportingthe center beam member 2 and each leg 6 of the second pair of the twopair of legs 6 further includes a notch 26 formed on an upper portion ofeach of the second pair of legs 6 for engagement with the at least oneplatform member 4 for supporting the center beam member 2.

In an alternate embodiment of the invention, as seen in FIG. 3, suchmeans 40 for preventing lateral movement of the center beam member 2includes an angle iron or similar bracket 28 disposed on the at leastone platform member 4 on each side of the center beam member 2.

As stated previously FIG. 5 shows an embodiment where two of theapparatus 10 are used together to hold a large piece of plywood. As canbe seen in this Figure that the worker can cut through the plywoodwithout the need to reposition the piece of plywood.

Thus, the present invention of a saw through sawhorse provides aconvenient way to use a sawhorse. It is designed in a manner similar toconventional sawhorses with legs that enable the unit to stand freelyand safely in place. The special design features a lowered center areathat allows the worker to cut all the way through a piece of wood,drywall, paneling or other material positioned on top of the sawhorsewithout the need of repositioning the material during the cut. Thiscannot be done with conventional sawhorses without the risk of cuttingthrough the sawhorse.

The center area features a lowered section. In an embodiment of theinvention there are step down notches in the center area. The notchesare substantially two inches deep. The first notch is 8 inches wide, thesecond notch is 6 inches wide while the third notch is 4 inches wide.Thus, the notches would accommodate boards that are 2×4, 2×6 or 2×8 andhold them securely in place.

The apparatus further includes extendable arms the extend outwardly fromthe center beam member of the sawhorse. The center beam member of thesawhorse is substantially 30 inches wide and with the arms extended theywould provide a length of approximately 50 inches. With two sawhorsesthe unit could support a 4 foot by 8 foot panel to be cut. The design ofthe sawhorse can be similar to a conventional sawhorse or having somemodifications as seen in the drawing figures.

While a presently preferred embodiment and alternate embodiments of thepresent invention have been described in detail above, it should beunderstood that various other adaptations and/or modifications of theinvention can be made by those persons who are particularly skilled inthe art without departing from either the spirit of the invention or thescope of the appended claims.

1. An apparatus for supporting one of a board, a panel and a plank forsawing, said apparatus comprising: (a) a center beam member having atleast one recessed portion disposed adjacent an upper surface of saidcenter beam member for forming a lowered center portion; (b) a supportmember for supporting said center beam member; and (c) a means forpreventing lateral movement of said center beam member of saidapparatus.
 2. The apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said supportmember includes at least one platform member for engagement with abottom portion of said center beam member.
 3. The apparatus, accordingto claim 2, wherein said support member further includes two pair oflegs engageable with said at least one platform member for supportingsaid center beam member, a first pair of said two pair of legsengageable with an end of said at least one platform member and a secondpair of legs engageable with a second end of said at least one platformmember.
 4. The apparatus, according to claim 3, wherein said supportmember further includes a substantially rectangular brace member, saidsubstantially rectangular brace member engageable on each corner thereofwith each leg of said two pair of legs intermediate a first end and asecond end of said each leg of said two pair of legs for providingsupport to said apparatus.
 5. The apparatus, according to claim 1,wherein said center beam member includes extendable arms that extendoutwardly from each end of said center beam member for supporting largeritems to be cut.
 6. The apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein saidlowered center portion of said center beam member includes a pluralityof recessed steps.
 7. The apparatus, according to claim 6, wherein eachof said plurality of recessed steps are two inches deep.
 8. Theapparatus, according to claim 7, wherein a first step of said recessedsteps forms a notch that is substantially 2 inches deep and 8 incheswide.
 9. The apparatus, according to claim 8, wherein a second step ofsaid recessed steps forms a notch that is substantially 2 inches deep by6 inches wide.
 10. The apparatus, according to claim 9, wherein a thirdstep of said recessed steps forms a notch that is substantially 2 inchesdeep and 4 inches wide.
 11. The apparatus, according to claim 3, whereinsaid means for preventing lateral movement of said center beam memberincludes an extension on each leg of said two pair of legs, saidextension on one leg of said first pair of legs engageable with alateral side of said center beam member and said extension on anotherleg of said first pair of legs engageable with an opposite lateral sideof said center beam member, said extension on one leg of a second pairof legs of said two pair of legs engageable with a lateral side of saidcenter beam member and said extension on another leg of said second pairof legs engageable with an opposite lateral side of said center beammember.
 12. The apparatus, according to claim 3, wherein said first pairof said two pair of legs further includes a notch formed on an upperportion of each of said first pair of legs for engagement with said atleast one platform member for supporting said center beam member. 13.The apparatus, according to claim 3, wherein said second pair of saidtwo pair of legs further includes a notch formed on an upper portion ofeach of said second pair of legs for engagement with said at least oneplatform member for supporting said center beam member.
 14. Theapparatus, according to claim 2, wherein said means for preventinglateral movement of said center beam member includes an angle irondisposed on said at least one platform member on each side of saidcenter beam member.